


Dance with me

by numbika



Category: Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Genre: Dancing, Domestic Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Romantic Fluff, im lightheaded and probably should have sleep but nah, this music is a different music but still music
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 06:25:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16907820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/numbika/pseuds/numbika
Summary: The music can truly touch ones soul, and it can even help getting two souls closer to each other. Especially if they are close already.





	Dance with me

A lot of people were invited to the evening. Sir Samuel Vimes, the newly minted Commander of the City Watch, felt as if flies were swarming around him. Loud, yet still incomprehensible murmuring saturated the air around him which was unmeasurably annoying. To make matters worse, most people in the room made his palm itch. Aside from the Guild leaders, the bigger noble families of the city also decided to pay a visit.

Maybe blood won't turn into water, but it sure can get pretty thin, at least that was the Commanders opinion after he was introduced to more than a dozen youngsters who all had handshakes like a dead fish. Still, the rising stars of the noble world weren’t the worst ones. There were a couple of them who obviously thought that having some humanity was better than having more "nobility". Their older relatives on the other hand, in Vimes's opinion, obviously lost just as much common sense over the years, as money they earned.

His only defence was Lady Ramkin who always managed to call away the Commander in just the right time - or a little bit sooner - before his talking partner realised what exactly Vimes just said to them. He on his part thanked this with a heartfelt smile and tried a little bit harder to stay unnoticed. This was made especially hard by his feathered helmet. Not that without that he would have been inconspicuous, the whole city was talking about the recreation of the Watch, and the Commanders rise, and certain people was highly interested.

All of this was crowned by how the leader of the city was acting. Sam could feel Lord Vetinari's eyes on his back wherever he was going, but he never managed to catch him actually looking.

The Commander rummaged through his pockets for a smoke but didn’t realised this fact until he already gone through the motions. Music creeped around him, Vimes overheard from some of the guest that the Guild of Musicians was asked to provide the entertainment, so they sent a couple of their fresh graduates. The song was something mellow, intended for a slow dance. A couple of people decided to do just that on the dance floor situated on the middle of the large hall.

Vimes used this opportunity to escape to the balcony. When he was outside, he let himself drink in the cool outside air. He took off the fancy, feathered helmet, and even though he had a mighty urge, his self-control won, and he didn’t just chuck it into the night. He rummaged through his pockets once again and pulled out a cigar. He lit it and took a hearty puff of smoke.

"I hope it's not a problem if I join."

Vimes bit into the end of the cigar, and looked over his shoulder towards the leader of the city. "Suit yourself, my lord." He motioned towards his left side dismissively.

Above them the sky was covered in snow-white clouds. Even though it was the middle of the winter, snowfall so far eluded the city. Not that in Ankh Morpork it would have remained for long. Snow tended to turn into a sticky, brown, half melted slush in a surprising speed. The newly arrived, inexperienced residents shared this tendency, at least this was also one of Vimes half-baked theories. Years before when he was still younger.

"What do you think about the ball, Commander?"

"There is a lot of interesting personalities to meet."

First time since the beginning of the night, Vimes saw a smile running through the Patrician's face.

"Well the city was always famous for its colourful populace."

"I always thought that we, in fact, are infamous for mixing those colours together into a short if sickly brown-green."

A small puff of smoke rose towards the heavens.

"Everything changes to survive, Commander."

In front of the mentioned eye, the picture of a small swamp-dragon emerged, who ate everything in sight. "Yes, maybe you are right, my lord." He looked down to his palm. The wound was already healed, but the scar will remain for a long time.

Vetinari watched him from the corner of his eye. "Commander?"

Sam flicked the end of the cigar away and looked up towards the leader of the city. "Don’t look at me like that when you are watching me. Somebody will notice." And with that, he pushed his helmet back on his head, and marched back to the room. After a couple of minutes, the Patrician followed him, his face now, set as a stone.

 

In the meantime, in the Unseen University, a couple of windows pushed themselves open. More than a couple of teachers grumbled at the music that ran through their rooms and roused them for their naps. Ridcully was fidgeting with the buttons of the archchancellor robes on himself when he arrived into the main hall.

The first thing he noticed was a student, who was dancing in the middle of it. His hair was ruffled, and he was waving his wand about in the heat of the moment. Around him a bunch of objects, twirled, swung, and bobbed up and down in the air. Boxes bumped against each other, rakes with holes drilled into them spun, and brooms strung with yarn to imitate instrumental string, danced. And last but not least, a couple of hoses with funnels at their ends.

"What the devil is happening here? What's wrong with that student over here? Don’t tell me he is suffering from the same thing as the Bursar!"

The music washed over them. They had to pull their clothes closer to themselves, as the power of the tone gave them goose bumps. The only exception was the Archchancellor who instead found that it roused a couple of unpleasant memories.

He pointed towards the apparently completely immersed youngster. "This damned fool is playing "music with rocks in it" isn't he? Because if he is, then the Dean is grounded effectively instantly, for at least a whole week."

"I'll take offense to that!" Grumbled the aforementioned Dean, but he had to force his leg to stay on the ground when it started to drum to the tone. "Oh, no."

Stibbons stepped into the circle of wizards, apparently from nowhere, holding a book under his arm. "Sir, in fact this is completely different. This is entirely within the control of the student, he himself is known as Orion Mouthfull, sir." Stibbons quickly hid his own appreciation of the feet when he noticed the expression of the faculty. He drew the book from under his armpit and opened it post-haste." Music for the untalented. As far as I could understand for now, it's about how magic can be intertwined with the melody of the song. If you are well versed in it, you can shape any kind of sound."

The Archchancellor scrunched up his eyebrows as he was listening to the younger wizard. When that finished his speech, he pointed towards the flying objects.  
"So that’s why that rubber duck tied to a stick, is hitting that wooden box?"

Stibbons answer was a little bit unsure. "Any noise can be considered music…" after a little bit of hesitation, he added "…from certain point of view?"

Another wave of music hit them, and as it flowed around them, it became somehow more composed. Magic sparkled trough the walls, even the heavy hung curtains of the university were moved by its power. More than a couple of wizards found himself remembering things they might not have experienced in the first place. The warmth of a family home, the endless clear blue sky and the freedom it gave and rolling green hills as far as the eye could see. Nobody know where those rolling hills were, or how to find them, but all in all everyone who heard a music, know them somehow.

"And what's with all this waving about?"  The Archancellor adjusted his hat.

"It's part of the spell sir. That’s how he is able to change sounds into something else, and the other way around too. But I don’t think it's necessary to…" Stibbons was searching furiously in his book.

"It's not that bad, actually." Suggested the Dean, and some of the faculty members nodded in agreement."

"Absolutely not. We can't have that thing repeating again." Ridcully slammed his hand on the shoulder of Stibbons who had to grab the magic book with both hands as to not drop it. " We should stop it while it's just starting."

"No sir, I don’t think we should." Ponder was searching for the right words to get the attention of the Archchancellor, panicking slightly from the effort.

"Just listen to me Stibbons."

"But sir, there is no need to-"

"Come out you damned "music with rocks in" I have beaten bigger things than you are!"

Behind the Archchancellor there was a certain murmur.

"We shouldn’t have given him that damned book. "100+2 battle cry to warn the hunted beast that we are coming for them."

"But he was so happy when he opened it."

The music choose this moment to dwell up again. It echoed back from the walls, wormed its way into the body through the ears, and stirred up the very soul. It created new memories, and new feelings in everyone who heard it.

Some of the faculty members simply sat down to the ground to listen, and even the Archchancellor stopped for a second. A feeling surfaced inside him, the same feeling he had when he joined the University. Even though he would never have admitted it, and probably nobody would have believed it even if he ever decide to do so, - Mustrum was proud to be the member of the UU. During the years this feeling faded a little, after all, if somebody works with magic, magic permeates his or hers every day, then it becomes in a strange way, ordinary. Like eating your breakfast, breathing air, or feeling the wind in your cheeks.  Off course with magic you could actually breath your breakfast, or eat the wind, but that's neither here or there. But the faded feeling, woke up, if just for a mere second inside the Archchancellor. This was the chance Ponder used to finally speak up in front of the faculty, at least in front of those who was still listening.

"Please let him finish."

The Archchancellor folded his arms in front of him. "Sorry? But we can't know what will happen at the end. He might die!"

Stibbons rubbed his temples. "The book says that the music exists only until the wizard became too tired to play."

"Being dead is as tired as one can be." Interjected the Dean. "Not many people will get enough rest to come out of that. "

"This is _just_ music. Just real music." Tried the young wizard.

"Then why are you trying to convince us so much to let him play? It's already in your head!"

"No, it's just-" Stibbons looked over his shoulder. The student, despite the tiring hopping and waving in a frantic way, was smiling widely. "It's just, I think he feels the music. Finally feels the music, sir."

"And? We feel it too. Heck if this continues the whole city will hear it!"

"But it’s the first time for him, sir. Even though he is the eight sons of an eight son, and so is gifted to become a wizard, he is also completely deaf from birth. I should have been suspicious when he was asking a lot about music, but I never expected that he will be able to pull of such a big magic."

The Dean looked at one of the rubber ducks sceptically "Not that big of a magic if you ask me."

Mustrum scratched his head under the wizard hat. The music swept around them two times again, before he spoke up.

"It's quieter now. Maybe he is done."

"Yes, I think he is." Stibbons wasn’t brave enough to smile at that.

"All right, but tomorrow, after he woke up, we should punish him. We can't just let him play with music like that, especially since now it can probably be heard from every point of the city. " The Archchancellor nodded to himself slightly. "We should try to make a good expression."

"I want it black, with a lot of foam."

"It's good to see you're with us, Bursar."

"Maybe you meant to say, impression sir?" Chanced Stibbons.

"That too, all right, somebody get the Bursar to lay down."

The faculty members looked at each other, and the Dean rummaged through his pocket for a couple of matches, to draw for it. Stibbons turned back towards the young wizard in the middle of the room, and finally allowed himself a big sincere smile, as the student continued his magic with the exact same vigour as before.

 

The night was still going, but thanks to the gods, and of course, Lady Ramkin, the Commander managed to get off without having to stay for the rest of it. He was prowling the streets when the snow began to fall. He was just about to make one last round in the city before returning home, when he noticed that even though he was now far away from the ball, music still filled the air. He stopped and looked towards the towers of the Unseen University. The tune that flowed from the windows of the huge building was different somehow, he could feel it in his bones.

He took off his helmet, and as the melody became stronger and stronger, the image of Vetinari appeared in his head. The first time when they kissed. He blushed from the shame of remembering.

The snow was falling just like now. That time, still as a captain, he wasn’t exactly sober most of the time. Truth to be told, he was fighting with the dark emptiness forming inside his head, he wanted to do good things, but it didn’t mean that things always ended well. On that night for example, the Guild of Assassins lost one of their members, a houses roof collapsed, and a couple small fires sprouted on the surface on the Ankh. Fortunately, they were later extinguished using some actual water.

He raised his hand and he was about to just chuck the feathered helmet of the Copper Bridge. The motion stopped halfway, as there was a small creature sitting on the railing. The Commander watched it for a couple of second, frozen in place, when he noticed the small note it dropped.

"Thank you?" He tried and unfurled the piece of paper. Despite the cold it made his face hot for some reason. "He says _'Nice helmet'_ , hmphh."

Vimes placed the small note in his pocket beside his cigars and then started his way towards the Patricians Palace.

 

He knocked on the bedroom door and shivered as the tone still echoed in his soul. Those damned wizards. He stepped in and was surprised to find out that Vetinari stood in front of the windows slowly rocking left and right. "Something must have happened at the University."

Vimes rubbed his face, as the red embarrassment returned to it. "Wizards always meddle with things they shouldn’t."

Vetinari smiled a little and turned towards the Commander. "How was your night?"

Vimes was always surprised how fast Vetinaris features were able to change when they were alone together. The serious business-like demeanour disappeared in a second.

"Wonderful." He closed the door behind him and walked to the leader of the city. "I experienced what sort of life I could have lived if I have married into a noble house. Not to mention I had the feeling that somebody was watching me whole night."

"Sir Samuel." Vetinari placed a kiss on the man's cheek.  Even though the professionalism disappeared, the teasing remained.

"Sir Samuel my backside." Grumbled Vimes playfully and shoved his helmet on the patricians' head. "You told me to put on my parade uniform, and shiniest armour. "

"It really brings out the colour of your personality" said Vetinari, while he reached up, and adjusted the feather with a slight chuckle.

"I have a suspicion that I will have to attend quite a few nights like these, haven’t I?"

Vimes tried everything to maintain his grumbling attitude, but the fact that he was blushing furiously made this very hard to pull of. Not to mention the kiss that receive from the leader of the city before he spoke up.

"The Commander of the Guard is a very esteemed position. But, maybe, you can wiggle your way out from a couple of them " Vetinari embraced him with a smile. "In exchange for a couple of things, of course."

Vimes snorted. "For example?"

"Let's dance."

"What?" Vimes blinked in surprise, but no matter how much he looked into Vetinari-s eyes, there was only a genuine smile in it. "I can't really-"

"I will lead first, and teach you, don’t worry."

Before the Commander could protest, he realised that Vetinari already embraced him with one of his arm and grabbed his hand with the other. He swallowed, a little anxious, but let himself be led. After couple of steps he realised that most of the furniture was moved from the way beforehand

"You planned this."

The answer was a slight chuckle.

The music rose around them. Vimes could feel the shivers run up on his back, he knew that Vetinari was filled with the same warm feeling as him.

The second time they kissed, Vimes was completely sober at that time, and more than angry about to speak about his feelings. Vetinari should have been resting due to his injured leg, but obviously, he decided completely against it. The Commander wasn’t exactly the master of his feelings - if you know him -, it was easily see what was playing out inside him. And that night, he didn’t even try to hide it.

Without even noticing, he snuggled closer to Vetinari. They rocked together to the melody.  

"It’s the music isn't it? There is magic in it."

"Possibly," Vetinari smiled down at him. He knew how absurd what was they were doing, but this night was a night worth putting aside things like logic for. "but it's not the magic that makes us dance together, Sam."

The cynicism, and scepticism inherent in the Commander tried to speak up, but Vetinari shut it up with another kiss.

Next day, when they woke up, Vimes could have sworn, that when their eyes met, Vetinari blushed. That day the commander decided that wizards, and this whole magic thing in general, wasn’t that bad. He would even dance some more from time to time.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for the reading!  
> I'm sick and light headed so it woudlnt my best idea to put up this story. But hey, I liked to write it.  
> Bye-bye!


End file.
